Brazil's Controversial Hydroelectric Dam Worries Environmentalists

Despite concerns from environmentalists, indigenous leaders, and Sting, Brazil has confirmed construction of a new hydroelectric dam in the Amazon rainforest. According to a post on Treehugger:

With a 11,000 megawatt capacity, the hydroelectric dam is supposed to be the third largest in the world. It will be built on the Xingu River, in the state of Para, and its goal is to help Brazil cope with the growing demand for electricity it needs to continue growing. Investment is calculated at 17 billion US dollars.

Brazilian officials are doing their best to allay environmental concerns by promising that the winning bidder will work to sustain the ecological areas as much as possible with national parks and other benefits for the surrounding communities, but is the olive branch enough to ease environmentalist qualms? Is the dam worth risking the possible threat to native species and the preservation of indigenous cultures?Photo (cc) by Flickr user leoffreitas.